To assist member hospitals in preparing for the effects of future reimbursement changes to the Medicare pay-for-performance programs, MHA is providing a reference guide that includes program timeframes, weights, care minimums, benchmarks and the calculation methodology. Policy and analytic studies are made available for download to authorized users of HIDI Analytic Advantage.® If you need a user ID and password or have questions about accessing these reports, please contact hidi@mhanet.com. MHA also has made available several on-demand webinars that include an introductory overview, measurement and calculation details, and simulation examples.

CMS Hosts Hospice Open Door Forum

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is hosting a webinar for hospice providers on Tuesday, April 25. The webinar has been rescheduled to start at 11 a.m. While the registration has reached capacity at 1,000 registrants, those not already registered can be placed on a waiting list if spots become available.

JAMA Publishes Septic Shock Drug Shortage Study

According to a recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, the U.S. norepinephrine shortage in 2011 was associated with increased mortality among hospital patients with septic shock. At the time, the Food and Drug Administration reported a severe nationwide shortage of norepinephrine because of production interruptions at three drug manufacturers. Based on a retrospective analysis of administrative and pharmacy billing data from the Premier Healthcare Database, the study found that septic shock patients at hospitals that experienced a norepinephrine shortage had a 3.7 percent higher rate of in-hospital mortality. The FDA Safety and Innovation Act of 2012 included a number of American Hospital Association-supported provisions to help alleviate critical drug shortages.

MHA Joins Growing List Of Challengers To DSH Audit Methodology

MHA filed suit in federal court on Tuesday challenging the audit methodology imposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the 2011 and 2012 DSH audits. In 2010, CMS issued FAQ guidance on calculating hospital-specific DSH limits, requiring offset of Medicare and third-party payments. MHA asserts that this methodology is a substantive change in the cost calculation which must be promulgated as a formal rule. The suit further contends that any such rule would be ineffective, as it clearly violates the plain text of the Medicaid Act.

Similar suits are pending in the District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Tennessee and Minnesota. Two courts have issued preliminary rulings in favor of the hospital and hospital association plaintiffs. MHA’s goal is to compel CMS to derive hospital-specific DSH limits without the offsetting payments, which would greatly benefit the majority of members.

Consider This ...

In a recent Journal of the American Medical Association study, the overall rate of attrition among general surgery residents is 18 percent, and female residents are more likely to leave (25 percent) than male residents (15 percent).